Caster dollies for tobacco baskets and the like



June 28, 1955 A. H. RIDEOUT ETAL 9 L CASTER DOLLIES FOR TOBACCO BASKETS AND THE LIKE Filed 'May 12, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet l T l llllllllllllIilllll l llxx5 INVENTORS AMOS H.R|DEOUT BY I WADE T. SURRATT ATTORNEYS June 28, 1955 A. H. RIDEOUT ETAL 2,711,906

CASTER DOLLIES FOR TOBACCO BASKETS AND THE LIKE Filed May 12, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS AMOS H. RIDEOUT WADE T. SURRATT TORNEYS CASTER DOLLIES FOR TOBACCO BASKETS AND THE LIKE Amos Hall Rideout and Wade Talmadge Surratt, Winston-Salem, N. C.

Application May 12, 1952, Serial No. 287,292

1 Claim. (Cl. 280-79.1)

The present invention relates to a movable support and more particularly to an improved dolly for transporting articles or materials such as tobacco and the like from place to place.

Heretofore tobacco dollies have been made of wood and of substantially square or rectangular shape, thus being rather bulky and difficult to clean and handle. Accordingly, an important obiect of the present invention is to provide a light, durable, compact and economical metal dolly preferably of circular or annular shape, and having circumferentially spaced and inwardly disposed supporting members such as lugs or plates to which the ground engaging casters are rotatably connected so as to facilitate the convenient movement of the dolly across the floor of a warehouse, factory or the like. Due to the curved shape of the dollies, sharp or abrupt corners are eliminated thus facilitating the cleaning and handling of the dollies.

A further object is to provide each of the circular dollies with circumferentially spaced channel shaped supporting members or plates which preferably are diametrically disposed and extend inwardly from the circumference of the dolly. Each of the channel plates has means for securing a caster or the like to the underside thereof, and the spaced arms of the channel members extend upwardly to provide positive gripping means for engaging the underside of a tobacco basket or the like, so as to firmly hold the same in a fixed position but permitting its ready removal therefrom.

Another object is to provide a circular shaped dolly with circumferentially spaced supporting members extending inwardly and radially relative to the outer circumference of the dolly, and providing each of the supporting members with means for detachably receiving an annular ring or netting that constitutes an auxiliary open support for transporting dry tobacco or the like from place to place.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying claim and drawings.

Referring to the drawings in which is shown several preferred embodiments the invention may assume:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a dolly constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a plane View of the modified form of the dolly;

Figure 3 is a plane view of a further modification;

Figure 4 is a detailed perspective view showing the dollies in nested arrangement;

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 5-5 of Figure 1;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of another modified form of the invention;

Figure 7 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 77 of Figure 6, and

Figures 8-12, inclusive, are detailed perspective views 2,711,906 Patented June 28, 1955 of modified forms of supporting members or plates which may be substituted for the channel plate shown in Figures 1 and 6.

Referring to the drawings, generally indicates a dolly constructed in accordance with the present invention. Preferably, the dolly is in the form of a circular frame made of light, durable, tubular, metal 16 (Fig. 5) of such a diameter as to receive and constitute a support for any suitable containers, such as tobacco baskets, hogsheads or the like. Supporting members 17 are circumferentially spaced relative to the curved frame 16 and as shown in Fig. 1, are of channel or U-shape so as to provide a horizontal or fiat base 18 and the spaced upwardly extending parallel arms or flanges 19. The outer ends of each of the channels 17 may be secured to the inner periphery of the tubular member 16, in any suitable manner, such as by welding 20 or the like (Fig. 5). As shown, four channel members 17 are provided and are arranged in diametrically disposed pairs. To the underside of each of the members 17 is connected 2. fiat plate 21 (Fig. 5) by the threaded bolts 22 which extend through suitable spaced openings 23 (Fig. 2) in each of the members 17 and are firmly secured thereto by the nuts 23. Each plate 21 has a centrally depending pin or stud 24 arranged to constitute a fixed bearing for a rotatable member 25 having the spaced or bifurcated arms 26 to which is rotatably mounted a caster wheel 27 by a transverse pin 28. It will be seen that the caster wheels 27 are so spaced and positioned as to facilitate the convenient movement of the dolly and its associated parts over the ground or floor, upon the application of a minimum manual effort. The flanges 19 extend upwardly so as to be in substantially horizontal alignment with the top of the annular tubular member 16 so that the receptacle, such as a tobacco basket or the like, will lie fiat on the dolly. Additionally, the upper surfaces of the flanges 17 constitute gripping or engaging means for maintaining the tobacco baskets firmly in a fixed position on the dolly yet allowing each basket to be easily lifted therefrom.

In the modified form of the invention shown in Fig. 2, the dolly 15 is substantially similar to the dolly previously described, and each of the supporting members 17 has side openings arranged to receive the cross wires 29 and 30. These wires are connected as at 31 to each of the members 17 and may be either drawn taught or be loose so as to have a concave shape for receiving the tobacco basket or the like in order to transport the same from place to place.

In the modification shown in Figure 3, the annular dolly 15 and the channel members 17 are similar in construction to the dolly previously described. However, in this form of the invention, cross bars or boards 32 and 33 are arranged to be received and be supported by the diametrically disposed pairs of channel members so as to facilitate the use of the dolly for moving various sizes and shapes of articles. As the dollies are of uniform size, weight and shape they may, when not in use, be nested together as shown in Fig. 4 so as to assume a compact shape and thus save valuable space in the warehouse or the like.

In the modified form of the invention shown in Fig. 6, the dolly 34 is formed of an annular or curved frame of flat metal 35 and has extending inwardly therefrom, diametrically disposed pairs of channel members 36, each of which is provided with spaced parallel upwardly extending flanges or arms 37. Each pair of flanges 37 has transversely aligned slots or grooves 38 for detachably receiving a ring 39 of smaller diameter than the frame 35 and concentric therewith. To the ring 39 is connected an open bottom structure, such as the longitudinal and transverse rows of flexible members such as Wires or rods and 41 so as to form a netting or foraminous base for receiving the tobacco to be transported by the dolly, and which provides suitable openings so as to facilitate the drying or aerating of the tobacco when supported by the dolly. It will be seenthat the ring or hoop 39 and the wire netting provide an auxiliary support which can be readily connected or detached from the dolly frame 35 and provides means for conveniently transporting loose leaf tobacco from place to place in a warehouse or the like. Spaced bearing plates 42 are connected to the underside of the frame 35 (Fig. 7) such as by the threaded bolts 43 and nuts 44. Each of the plates 42 has rotatably connected thereto 21 depending bifurcated bracket 45 as at 45. A roller or caster 46 is iournaled as at 47 to the arms of the bracket 45.

Each of the supporting members 17 and 37, instead of being channel shape, may assume other suitable configurations so as to insure maintaining a basket or the like in fixed position. As illustrated in Fig. 8, each of the supporting members 48 has spaced openings 49 for receiving retaining bolts 43 previously described, for securing the caster assembly to the dolly. Additionally, each plate 48 has a medially and upwardly extending rib or flange 50 that extends radially inwardly from the annular frame and is provided with a vertical recess or slot 51 for detachably receiving the ring 39 of the netting previously described. The rib 50 may also be formed with an opening 52 for connecting a flexible member or wire thereto. Fig. 9, each of the support members or plates 53 is provided With spaced bolt receiving openings 54, and is formed medially with upwardly converging sides 55 having a transverse opening or slot 56 for receiving a circular hoop or ring such as shown in Fig. 6 so as to support the bottom of a tobacco basket or the like. In the modification shown in Fig. 10, the supporting member 57 is of angulated shape and has a vertical flange or arm 58 at its inner end, that constitutes a retaining shoulder for receiving a circular hoop or ring. The supporting member 57 may also be formed with the bolt receiving openings 59 and a wire receiving opening 60. In Fig. 11 a further modification of the supporting member is disclosed, in which the fiat plate 61 has bolt receiving openings 62 and is also formed with a round or circular member 63 that extends medially and longitudinally thereof. The curved member 63 at its inner end 64, is bent upwardly to form the lug 65 that constitutes a stop for maintaining of a circular ring or per- In the form of the invention shown in :w

forated support such as shown in Fig. 6, on the dolly when the parts are assembled. In Fig. 12 another modification of the supporting structure is shown which comprises a flat plate 66 having the spaced bolt receiving openings 67. The inner end of the member 66 is also provided with spaced upwardly extending lugs 68 for engaging a ring or circular netting so as to detachably maintain the same in a fixed position when connected to a dolly 34 such as shownin Fig. 6.

Thus it will be seen that a simple, efficient, and compact metal dolly is provided for transporting articles or materials such as tobacco from place to place, in a warehouse or factory, and which the dollies, when not in use may be nested together so as to occupy very little space. Additionally, each dolly may be provided with suitable means for detachably connecting a ring or opened bottom member thereto so as to constitute a foraminous support for transporting leaf tobacco or other articles from place to place, and which allows the articles to be dried or aerated during such movement.

It will be manifest that the forms of the invention shown are merely illustrative of preferred embodiments and such changes may be made as come within the scope of the claim.

We claim:

A dolly for supporting a receptacle such as a tobacco basket and the like, said dolly including an annular frame having spaced circumferentially disposed inwardly and radially extending supporting members, each of said members having a caster pivotally connected to the underside thereof, a ring of smaller diameter than said frame and provided with a perforated base, and said supporting member being of substantially channel shape and having its parallel arms provided with spaced aligned recesses for detachably receiving said ring so as to maintain the same in a fixed position when the dolly is assembled.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 973,029 Froese Oct. 18, 1910 1,220,732 Devlin Mar. 27, 1917 1,316,365 Jackson et al. Sept. 16, 1919 1,421,110 Thuesen et al. June 27, 1922 1,628,722 Haertel May 17, 1927 2,531,131 Johnson Nov. 21, 1950 2,573,085 Yonkers Oct. 30, 1951 2,611,622 Kernkamp Sept. 23, 1952 

